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Dems Threaten to Kill Health Care Bill Over Abortion

Bart Stupak says he's got the votes to derail it

By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff

Posted Nov 3, 2009 9:23 AM CST

(Newser) – The House is barreling towards a health care vote, hoping to pass its bill by the end of the week, but there’s a potential stumbling block ahead: abortion. A group of socially conservative Democrats are threatening to vote against the bill because the subsidies it offers to help people buy insurance could be used to buy plans that cover abortion.

“I will continue whipping my colleagues…until a clean vote against public funding for abortion is allowed,” said Bart Stupak of Michigan, who says he can get 40 Democrats to vote against the bill with him—enough to derail it. A provision in the bill tasks insurers with making sure public money doesn’t fund abortions, but Stupak’s contingent says that’s just an accounting distinction. Pro-choice groups counter that doing more would effectively ban private insurance coverage for abortions.

Bart Stupak says he can get the votes to block health care legislation in the House if his abortion concerns aren't addressed.
Bart Stupak says he can get the votes to block health care legislation in the House if his abortion concerns aren't addressed.   (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 28 comments
hybrid
Nov 3, 2009 8:51 AM CST
and your god has no control over it@ck
Guava_Jelly
Nov 3, 2009 7:29 AM CST
I sincerely apologize, please let me clarify. Your assertion only the OP-ED section of the WSJ is "right of Mein Kamph weekly" is far more REASONABLE than asserting the WHOLE PAPER is "right of Mein Kamph weekly".
dns2
Nov 3, 2009 7:24 AM CST
The catholic church teaches that that the birth control pill is a form of abortion. So, does this mean that birth control will not be covered by the plans?? Why do religous people have to continue to force their beliefs on the rest of us by using government? Remember it was the conservative democrats that supported jim crow laws in the south and they used the bible to justify it

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